Removable container for vehicles



Dec 18, 1928.

D. W. PERIN REMOVABLE CONTAINER FOR VEHICLESY vasi $014 awwd (alpe: :1

Vgl/f Z Dec. 18, 1928. 1,695,929

' D. w. PERI'N REMOVABLE ACONTAINER FOR VEHICLES 'l Filled sept. 25, 1924 4 sheets-sheet 2 l; ozwwild 10.796751??? l www' l y @i'ozfuqg' Dec. 18, 1928.

[L VV.FNER|N REMOVABLE CONTAINER FOR VEHICLES Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 25, 1924 Dec. 18, 1928. f l695,929

. D. W. PERIN REMOVABLE CONTAINER FOR VEHICLES Filed sept. 25, 1924 4 Sheng-sheet 4 Patented D ec. 18,^ 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

' :DONALD LW. PEKIN, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO raam-WALSH COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MAsSAoHUsETTs,.A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

EEMOVABLE CONTAINER FOR VEHICLES.

l Application filed September 25, 1924. Serial No. 739,804.

on the vehicle for delivcryto their destinationf These containers have been heretofore attached to carriages mounted on swivel casters to facilitate movement from one place to another. In moving suc-h containers into a vehicle the casters swivel tothe rear and When the containers are rolled out of the vehicle the casters tend to swivel through 180 to reverse position. If the casters start to swivel to reverse position in opposite directions they cannot roll freely but must slide until all are reversed. When the containers carry a heavy load this makes it diflicult to move the container oif the vehicle and often results in broken casters. If the casters swivel tol re- 2 0 verse position in the same direction the container is moved sidewise and in restricted places this jams the container against the adjacent surface, such as the side of a box-car, truck, etc., When the vehicle is provided With tracks (the casters cannot reverse and there` fore bind on the tracks as they tend to re.

`one set of rollers to be locked, and the remaining rollers unlocked to swivel in any direc? f tion. A

One preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the -accompanying drawin sin which, Y

. 'g. 1 is a side elevation of a container mounted on an'automobile truck:

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Fig.'9 is a top View of a part'of the actuatinof'means for the locking Aplungers;

ig. 10 'is a section taken on the line 10--10 of Fig. 6'; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged vertical section taken* on the line 11-11 of Fig. 2'.

The embodiment of the invention shown for the puzlpose of illustration comprises a container adapted to be removably mounted upon the bod Bof a delivery' vehicle such as an automo ile truck. The container A is substantially rectangular in form and comprises panels 1 of netting suitably fastened to the frame of the container and lowerjsolid panels 2 which are connected to the bottom 3 ofthe container. AS shown in Fig. 7 .one end of the container may be provided with doors 4 and a tail board 5 which is pivoted tothe bottom 3. top 4 covers the container and curtains 6 may be provided for use in inclement Weather.. 'Cross-pieces 7 are secured to the bottom 3 of .the container and extend transversely thereof beneath the container.

The container A is mounted upon a carriage C which is rectangular in its form and comprises transverse end angle irons 8 and 9 at:tl 1 e opposite ends ofthe carriage. Parallel side angle irons 10 are suitably secured at one end tothe end angle irons 8 and 9 by bolts 11 vandthe opposite ends of the side angle irons` 10 are suitably connected to castings 12 which are provided with upwardly' and outwardly extending portions '13 and atop 14Which is substantially parallel tothe sidev angle iron 10. The top 14 of the castings 12 are connected by ai pair ofparallel cross braces 15 which are secured to the castings by bolts A16. vIn this instance there'are four pairs of castings 12 4of f-s'imilarl construction to the castings A above described which are connected'together by similar cross braces 15 and longitudinal Fig-21's a top plan view ofthe carriage for' the container;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of oneof the casters;

s Fig. 4 is an elevational view partly in verv s tical section of the roller shownjin Fig. 3

Fi 7 is a rear end elevation of the auto.

mobi e truck shown in Fig.' 1 s angle irons 17.

Angle irons 18 and f19 extend longitudinally the cntic length of the carriage C and are connected at their opposite ends to the v end angle irons 8 and 9 res ectively,l and transverse braces 20 Aand 21'(F1g. 2) are connected to o posed side angle irons 17 by bolts 22 and'. to vtlie longitudinally extending angle -irons 18 and 19 by bolts 23. The crossbraces 15 are connectedto the longitudinally extend-l ing angle irons 18 and 19 by bolts 24 and nuts 25 and are held in spaced-relation therefrom heads so relate between two sets of ball bear-` ings 32 and 34 in bases which are formed in upper and lower parts 33 and 35 held together by bolts 37 which also serve to secure the bases to the pairs of cross-pieces 15 (Figs. 2

4and 5).

Truck B is provided with a sub-frame E having grooved tracks 39 for casters 28 whereby the body may be rolled on and off the truck as desired. The sub-frame E comprises I-beams 40, Figs. 5 and 8, which extend transversely of the body of the truck and form a support means may be provided to lock the container A on the truck B-but as this feature forms no part of the present invention, illustration and description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

The heads 30 of the casters are provided with bosses 41 having holes i42 into which plungers 43 movable in the caster base 33 are adapted to extend thereby preventing the casters from swinging about their vertical axes. In order to actuate the plungers 43, a rod 44 extendslongitudinally of the carriage C and is supported in a bearing bracket 45 on y the end angle iron 9 and in brackets 46and 47 plungers a collar. 48

y'49 between whichy is clamped a linkl50 by a.

through holes in on the/cross braces 2O and 21.

In order to conjointly actuate a pair of is secured to the rod 44 by a screw 48 and is provided with split lugs bolt .51 (Figs. 5 and 9). The link 50 isprovidedy with'an elongate slot 53 to receive bolt 51. The outer end of the link 50 is provided with a downwardly extending boss 4 which is suitably lower end of the shaft 55 extends through a cross brace 56 which is connected at its oppoangle irons 18 shaft 55 extends into a-brace 5 which is connected at its opposite ends yto the parallel cross braces 15 by bolts 58.

A lever 59 is secured at its center to the shaft `55 and bolts 60 having nuts 62 extend the outer ends of the leverl 59 upon which bushings 61 are mounted to provide bearings for the-couplings 63. Gonnecting rods 64 are connected to the couplings 63 at one endand to the couplings 65 at the other end. The couplings 65 `are pivotally connected to couplings 67 by bolts 66. Plunger rods 68 are connected to the coufor the tracks 39. Suitable locking secured-tol an upright shaft 55. The

plings 67 and the locking plungers 43 at the outer ends of the plunger rods 68 are provided with shoulders 69 which are adapted to abut against sleeves 70 in the base member 33 of the caster forming stops to prevent the plungers from being entirely withdrawn from the caster base 33. f

By moving the actuating rod 44 inthe directionof the arrow 71. (Fig. 2) the links 5() are rocked by the longitudinal movement of the lugs 49,and rotatel the shafts 55 and levers. 59 in 'a clockwise direction to move the connecting rods 64 outwardly and thereby force plungers 43 into the holes 42 inthe caster head 30 to lock the casters against swiveling movement as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 9. vBy providing several holes 42 in the wheels 30 the casters 28 may belocked in different positions according to the direction of movement of the container A that is desired. l The three rearward pairs of casters are locked at one time by moving of the carriage' C, similar actuating mechanism being provided for each of the three pairs of casters and being similarly connecte to the actuating rod 44. It will be understood that the plungers are withdrawn from the holes inthe casters by moving the rod 44 in the opposite direction to reverse the operation of the levers above described.

In order to move the .actuating rod 44 longitudinally to control the swinging movement of the rea-r pairs of having lugs 72 is secured to the rod 44 adjacent one end thereof by a bolt 73 an'd nut 74 and an yarm 75 is connected to the lugs 72 by a bolt77 and nut 76. One end of the arm 7 5N is provided with a-sliglitly elongate slot 75 (Fig. 10) to provide a vlost motion connection between the arm 75 and lugs '72 and the opposite end of the arm 75 is xed to a rod 78 by a'screw 79. angles to the actuating rod 44 to one side of the container A and is supported in the bearing brackets 7 9`and 80 ,which are connected to the bottom 3 of the container. An operating handle 81 is connected to the outer end of the rod78 by a screw 82 and a knob 83 is fastened to the outer end of the larm 81 to envable the arm to be conveniently grasped for movement. A band 84 preferably surrounds the container A and serves to guide the movement of the handle 81. By movingnthe operating handle 81 in one direction orthe other the actuating rod 44s1will be moved longitudinally to lock sor unlock 'the rear pairs of castcasters a bracket f Therod 78 extends at substantially right a cross bar 87 connected to the longitudinal angle irons 18 and 19 and in the bearing bracket 88 on the end angle iron 8'. A separate operating rod 89 is supported in the bearing brackets 79 and 80 `and has an operating handle 90 for rockin an arm 7 5 connected to the bracket lugs 2 .which are fixed to the actuating rod 85. By moving the actuating rod 85 longitudinally in one direction or the other, the front pair of casters may be locked or unlocked and the actual locking mechanism is constructed and operates in the same manner as the locking mechanism above described.

It is desirable that the casters be automatically locked from swinging about their vertical axes when the container is rolled upon the truck B so that the casters will be maintained in a line to permit the container A to be conveniently rolled from the truck. In this instance a stop plate 91 is secured to an I-beam 40 adjacent the forward end of the ltruck by a plate 92, bolts 98 and nuts 94 and a cooperating stop plate 95 secured to the actuating rod 44 by screws 96 is adapted to abut against the stop 91 when the container A is rolled upon the truck B. After the stops 91 and 95 have been brought together further movement of the container Al forwardly will move the actuating rod 44 longltudinally and thereby actuate the plungers 43 to lock the rear casters against swinging movement.

A stop 97 is suitably secured to the rod 44 and 1s adapted to abut against the bearing bracket 47 to limit the longitudinal movement of the rod 44 in one dlrection to prevent the rod from moving to- 'such a point as to prevent the levers from'eiiciently operating. A'similar stop 98 is secured to the actuating rod 85 and serves a similar purpose to the stop 97.

Although three pairs of rollers have been described "having common mechanism for controlling their swinging movement, it will be understood that this number 4 is merely given by way of example and the number may be varied as desired without departing from the spirit of the invention. The-casters adJacent the forward end of the container are adapted to bey locked independently ofv the rear cast-ers and this permits the rear casters to swivel while the forward casters -to the rear; consequently when the container is rolled off the casters tend to swivel through 180 to a reverse position. When the casters are disposed in tracks this tendency would result in the casters binding on the track.

If the casters are not in tracks and the space is limited, as in a freight car, this tendency would throw the container against the side of the car and cause binding. By locking the casters after the container is-rolled on a truck or car this tendency is eliminated.

I claim:

1. A container having swivel rollers, means for locking said rollers against swiveling movement, and an actuator projecting from said means to engage a fixed stop when the container is rolled on a vehicle thereby automatically to lock Vthe rollers.

2. A container having swivel rollers, mannally operable means on said container for locking said rollers against swiveling movement, and automatic means for locking said rollers when the container is moved into a given relation to a fixed stop.

3. A container having swivel rollers, plungers for positively locking said rollers against swiveling movement and automatically `actuable means for operating said .plungers to lock said rollers when an element of said means is moved into abutting relation with a fixed stop on a vehicle or the like.

4. A container having swivel rollers,u

plungers for positively locking said rollers against swiveling movement, means common to several of said plungers to lock said rollers, said means including a. longitudinally movable rod and means for automatically actuating said rod to lock said rollers when a part of said means is moved into abutting relation with a fixed stop.

5. A container having swivel ro1lers,'

plungers for positively locking said rollers against swinging movement, a rod extending longitudinally beneath said container and connectedconjointly to actua-te several of said plungers, a stop on said rod adapted to bebrought into .abutting relation with a fixed .stop whereby the rod maybe actuated lwhen the container is moved in proper relation to the fixed stop thereby moving several of said plungers to lock the corresponding swivel rollers against swinging movement.

46. A container having swivel rollers,` swivel mountings for said rollers providing recesses, plungers adapted to extend into said recesses for locking the rollers l.against swiveling movement, mechanism for ;actuat ing said plungers conjointly to lock said rollers, said mechanism comprising a longitudinally movable rod disposed beneath the- .containen Signed by me at Boston, Mass., this 15th day of September, 1924.

DONALD w. PERIN. 

